Abstract:
Academic and practitioner interest in sustainable consumer behaviour continues to
grow. Yet the focus remains on marketing appeals based on awareness raising,
perspective taking and concern. Whilst such an approach may be suitable for an
established niche of committed consumers, it continues to be inappropriate for the
majority.
Situated within the debates on consumer behaviour, prosocial behaviour, brand
communities and social identity theory, this study proposes an alternative route
towards sustainable behaviours. This study focuses on such behaviours via the brand's
formation of 'pop-up' consumer groups, and the subsequent influences these groups
can exert on group members.
Adapting aspects of social identity theory and self-categorisation theory, the study
uses a novel field-based experiment to manipulate consumers into specific group
structures (high/low group salience; normal/sustainable group goals) and measures the
effects of these manipulations on prosocial behaviours both within and beyond the
group. The effects on the consumer brand relationship are also observed.
The results show first that such rapid group formation can lead to prosocial
behaviours. Second, the results show that social identification with the group mediates
the relationship between group salience and prosocial behaviours, but does not
mediate the relationship between group goal and prosocial behaviours. Hence, it is
suggested that two distinct processes are at work: social identity influence and social
norm influence. Third, the study shows that group manipulations increase the
consumer brand connection. Fourth, the study proposes novel distinctions between
money and time as tradeable consumer resources, and suggests how the context of the
request for these resources may alter the propensity to give.
This study is the first of its kind to create a novel, minimal and temporary group
within a natural consumer context, in order to encourage prosocial behaviour. The
creation of these ‘pop-up’ groups provides an original contribution to both theory and
practice.
